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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26335966">When Push Comes To Shove</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetAshori/pseuds/SweetAshori'>SweetAshori</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Budding Love, Character Study, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, GenHaku, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Love Confessions, Making Out, Out of Character, Spoilers, genkoha</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 02:47:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,425</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26335966</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetAshori/pseuds/SweetAshori</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Spoilers from Chapter 163 of the manga!</p>
<p>Kohaku's hands seized at the banister as she peered over the deck of the Perseus. Things were finally at peace, but she was not. Not in the slightest. And she hated that she wasn't.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Asagiri Gen &amp; Kohaku, Asagiri Gen/Kohaku</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Disclaimer: I don't own Dr. STONE. I do love it a lot.</p>
<p>Authoress' Note: … It's kinda sad there isn't enough Gen x Kohaku fics out there. While I don't ship it as hard as Senku x Kohaku, I really do like this pairing. And if we're going to start pairing Senku with Luna – which is kinda cute, but yeah... definitely not going to ship them – might as well as jump a bit harder on the GenHaku/KohaGen ship!</p>
<p>This loosely started as inspiration from this piece of art by NotgCp on Twitter - https://twitter.com/NotgCp/status/1302163031368097793/photo/1 – Please enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kohaku's hands seized at the banister as she peered over the deck of the Perseus. Things were finally at peace, but she was not. Not in the slightest. And she hated that she wasn't.</p>
<p>She had heard of Senku's new “girlfriend”, although she didn't know much at the time. Many people didn't unless they were on the ship and bore witness to what had transpired, but now that things had settled, the huntress now had the chance to meet the woman that had brought Senku back from the brink of death, as it were.</p>
<p>And also got to see how attached she was to the scientist. The vision of the American beauty – Luna, she eventually learned of the name – clinging close to Senku and not entirely in a doctor-to-patient sort of way made Kohaku feel sick to her stomach. But what confused the huntress was that she didn't get why.</p>
<p>Knuckles turned white as she watched Luna and Senku interact on the deck below where she stood, seeing Senku actually smile at the medical student over whatever conversation they were having. Why did this bother her so much? It wasn't as though she had feelings for Senku, and certainly Senku didn't have any for her. Well, no feelings outside of friendship, companions, and members of the Kingdom of Science, at least. There certainly wasn't anything romantic between the two of them, nor would there ever be, far as the huntress was aware. After all, Senku was the one that said that a brain full of love was illogical and detrimental to the pursuit of science, and so even if Kohaku did have any sort of lovey-dovey feelings towards him, it's not like she'd ever, ever act on them because of that reason.</p>
<p>If Senku wanted to change his mind and actually express some sort of loving interest in another person, that's his business. And if those feelings were directed towards the woman that did save his life, that was also his business. It wasn't any of her business, nor should it be.</p>
<p>So why did this bother her so much? Why was her hands hurting because she tightened her grip so hard against the metal banister? Why was her chest hurting worse than it felt in years? Why did it feel like she couldn't breathe, like every one she tried to take was stuck in her throat? Why was there tears stinging at her eyes as she watched Luna smile at Senku like a girl so happily in love? There's no reason Kohaku should feel this way, but yet she did, and she hated herself for it. None of this made any sort of sense, so why--??</p>
<p>“Ah, Kohaku-chan~”</p>
<p>Her shoulders squared up, hearing her name called in the familiar sing-song tone that only belonged to the resident mentalist and most trustworthy liar, Gen Asagiri. This was the most inopportune time for him – or anyone, really – to try and approach her. The last thing she wanted was for someone to see her in this self-loathing sort of state, and unlike Senku, she was not always easily capable at keeping her emotions hidden. Still, she had to try, and so with one deep breath and ignoring the pain in her chest that came with it, she forced a smile on her lips, turning her head only slightly in order to meet his awaiting gaze for a moment, “Hello, Gen.”</p>
<p>The monochrome haired man stopped a few inches from her, hands buried into the sleeves of his purple overcoat as he usually did. “How did you rest?” he inquired, “Well, I hope.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, more or less. Hard to fully sleep when everyone is being loud.”</p>
<p>“Yes, that's very true. But it's understandable, given what we had to endure yet again.”</p>
<p>She scoffed, forcing a small smile, “No doubt about that.”</p>
<p>The entire time of their conversation, Kohaku's head turned back to where it was before, hoping her bangs would cover her eyes and keep him from seeing them glazed over. However, Gen was no fool and could see easily her distraction and her pain. He didn't let on his knowledge, not right away, wanting to judge her based on what words they shared. Her voice sounded normal, but he was certain it was being forced as part of her plan to keep him off the course.</p>
<p>Dark cerulean eyes turned towards where Kohaku's gaze was lingered. He knew full well what she was looking at. And also knew full well, without her saying a word about it, why she was in this current state of being. To be frank, even Gen was surprised to see Senku looking almost pleased with having the turncoat at his side, something he wasn't used to see any other woman but Kohaku being able to do. He always knew – even though the two never expressed it verbally or realized it for themselves – that there was some sort of special spark between the scientist and huntress, and secretly wished that they would, eventually, be able to freely share that with one another. Of course, he knew that it likely wouldn't have been until after they finally reached the goal of reviving all of humanity, but it was still something he wished for.</p>
<p>The way Kohaku carried herself right now, even from a distance, told him that she had hoped to eventually reach that point as well, but now she might have lost her chance. The realization of that fact now brought forth those feelings she hadn't noticed were there before, and all of it was hitting her like a ton of bricks. Sure, she attempted to stay strong, to act as though she wasn't bothered, and maybe to the untrained eye she was keeping it that way, but not to him.</p>
<p>“Have you met Luna-chan yet?” he asked curiously.</p>
<p>Her hands that started to loosen gripped at the metal hard again; Gen easily caught sight of the flinch in her touch. “Not directly, no. I've heard enough about her, though. People seem pretty happy to have her aboard,” Kohaku replied, trying to keep the bitterness of bile out of her words.</p>
<p>“Seems so. Especially given that she saved our dear Senku. She seems like a nice enough woman.”</p>
<p>“That's what I hear. And something about being a smooth operator and a capable gal. Whatever that means.”</p>
<p>“I'm not sure about a smooth operator, but given what she's been able to achieve, capable is certainly a correct trait of hers.”</p>
<p>Her stomach churned terribly as the conversation went on. She didn't want to hear about all of these good qualities she had, or how people seemed to all be happy to have her among the ranks of the Kingdom of Science, or how Senku can't seem to stop smiling at the fangirl, or how god damn mad she was at all of this--!!</p>
<p>“What do you think, Kohaku-chan?”</p>
<p>She couldn't answer that. Not honestly. Nor did she want to answer that. She felt guilty over the idea of even trying to say something terrible about Luna, especially not without knowing her. She knows she should be all sorts of grateful to the woman for being here to save Senku, and she was. But all of that was muddled in with these unknown, unwanted, unnecessary feelings and because of that, she couldn't answer the question in the way she knew she should answer it. Gen knew this, of course, still testing the waters with what he was noticing.</p>
<p>“I'm sure she's everything people keep making her out to be.”</p>
<p>Kohaku had enough. She needed to get away. Away from Gen, away from the deck, away from the sight of Senku and Luna, away from everything and everyone. She was just going to hide in her room and stay there unless she was called. She didn't want to deal with any of this. None of this frustration, none of this pain, none of these sickening feelings that keep bubbling up in her stomach and making her want to puke. She was done. Done with all of it.</p>
<p>She removed her grip from the metal bar, pushing herself and turning away from Gen, taking two steps in his opposite direction. He noticed her fleeing, and sighed, “You should say something to him.”</p>
<p>Footsteps stopped, shoulders squared, gaze straight ahead on the natural sights that surrounded their current position. “I have no idea what you mean by that, Gen,” she replied, obviously trying to keep any of her boiled up feelings from coming to the surface of her tone.</p>
<p>“You have a terrible tell, Kohaku-chan. You seem obviously thrown off by our dear Senku's sudden entanglement. If you have some sort of objections to it, you should say something to him.”</p>
<p>“Why would I? Whatever relationships Senku wants to get involved with, that's his business. Not mine, and I have no place to tell him anything in what he should or shouldn't do.”</p>
<p>Her fingers balled into fists, body shaking as she uttered those words. She wanted to tell Gen to shut up, go to hell, curse him out for trying to involve her into something that had nothing to do with either of them. But yelling would only cause more eyes to fall upon her, and she refused to let that happen. She continued to walk away from him, only for Gen to start to follow her.</p>
<p>“Then why don't you tell him what you personally feel?”</p>
<p>“Once again, you've lost me. No idea what you mean.”</p>
<p>“Your tell is getting worse.”</p>
<p>“Wish you'd stop with this poker talk. I barely understand any of it, and it's stupid to use it outside of the game.”</p>
<p>Kohaku wished he'd go away, but nope, the mentalist was determined to follow her. Through every hall and corridor, down every ladder and step, all the way back to the personal rooms of the ship's crew. He kept his voice down, only speaking when no one was in earshot, knowing well enough that this was a conversation that she would not want to get anyone else involved with, nor did he want that as well. He was determined, the bat bastard, to get a rise out of the blonde fighter in relation to those screwed up feelings she had, and she wouldn't allow it.</p>
<p>Right outside of her door, she finally stopped and turned around, blue eyes glaring daggers into the persistent man. “Look, just leave me alone, Gen. I'm tired, and I'm done,” she declared, her tone showing clearly to him that she was barely holding back anymore.</p>
<p>With that, her hand went to her door handle, turning it and pulling the door with a force that surprised Gen that she didn't break it off of its hinges, walking inside and pulling it back with her, trying to close it and seal herself off from the world. However, she wouldn't have the chance to do so, the crafty bastard reaching out and grabbing the barrier, stopping it enough for him to sneak his way inside of the room.</p>
<p>“What the hell do you think you're doing!?” she screamed, “Get out of here!”</p>
<p>“I will once you give me a sufficient answer to my questions.”</p>
<p>“I have absolutely nothing more to say to you. Get. Out.”</p>
<p>“Once you answer me.”</p>
<p>Kohaku was pissed, and Gen was as well, although he had the ability to keep it well hidden. No longer was he attempting to pussyfoot around her to gauge how she may react, but now it was wanting to get to the root of the issue. She may have wanted to hide it, but he knew that hiding it would be a terrible mistake. Trying to hide, to bury and pretend whatever she was feeling didn't exist would manifest into something far more devastating, and Gen didn't want that for her. He may not show it – he really didn't show it towards anyone, as part of his aloof nature – but he cared deeply for the huntress. He hated the sight of her as she was above deck, and definitely hated the idea of what could come if she was left alone to her own exile. He refused to let her have exactly what she wanted in this moment, and that made her even more angry than she already was.</p>
<p>“Why do you keep insisting on annoying me? I told you, I have nothing more to say to you, and I have nothing to say to Senku,” her voice was quieter but held the same amount of bite as her yell.</p>
<p>“You're lying. You're lying to me, and you're lying to yourself,” he insisted, arms once again back within his sleeves, crossed over his chest.</p>
<p>“Ha! That's rich, coming from you. I'm not lying to anyone,” she replied, her laugh as bitter as the vile taste in her mouth.</p>
<p>“You've had feelings for him for awhile now.”</p>
<p>Eyes met, fury meeting what seemed like calm. Her teeth gritted, fists balled at her side, “Of course I do. He's my friend and comrade, and we've been through a lot over the past few years. Of course there's feelings there.”</p>
<p>“Not those types of feelings, Kohaku-chan, and I know that you know what I'm talking about.”</p>
<p>“You're wrong.”</p>
<p>His brow twitched for a second, one set of fingers tapping against his arm beneath the coat. “All of these years spent together. Getting to know each other more, both inside and outside of the missions. The amount of time you've spent fighting to protect him and his cause. All of the days and nights you've spent by his side, learning about science and declaring your belief in it,” he started to explain, his voice starting out low and steady.</p>
<p>“So what? We've all done that, even you.”</p>
<p>He didn't pause to respond to her comment, continuing his reasoning, “Of all people that's been around him, the only person that has managed to get so close has been you. Even dear Taiju gets pushed away. But yet, you've been the only one able to get within his bubble. The only one that he's allowed to hug him with such gentleness and care. The only one that he's allowed to approach him, to stay by his side in all of the ups and downs. And you loved that fact.”</p>
<p>She didn't respond with words, only with more shaking and another gritting of the teeth. He didn't stop, “You loved that you could stay close to him, even when others couldn't. To be able to sit by him on those long nights by the fire, to be able to watch him peer out into the night sky with that smile on his face, to be able to talk with him so unguarded about anything, to stand by his side as an equal and loving how much he trusts you.”</p>
<p>“That's--”</p>
<p>“All of these years, all of these interactions, they've cultivated something within your heart that you may not have noticed until now. Probably because of what he said to you the day you first met. In fact, I'm sure of it. You hid it well, hid it even from yourself, but now that you see someone else in your place, you're seeing it.”</p>
<p>Kohaku was quivering worse than she ever felt before. Eyes were burning, and she swore she was going to bleed based on how hard her hands were clenched, but she didn't care. “Shut up,” she said through bared teeth, her head lowered as to not look at the mentalist as he spun his tricks.</p>
<p>“You didn't think it'd be possible for him to ever change his mind on what he said about romance, but now you're seeing that he's changed, and the fact that it's not you has you furious. Not entirely at him, but at yourself. You didn't see the change until it was too late. And now, the place you wanted to be at has another woman in its stead.”</p>
<p>“I said shut up.”</p>
<p>“You're realizing you lost your chance to tell him that you love--”</p>
<p>“SHUT UP!!”</p>
<p>Within a blink of an eye, Kohaku in front of him, hands grabbing fiercely at his clothes, pushing him harshly against the door, ocean eyes glowing with a furious storm and a glimmer of tears as she looked up at him with every bit of unhinged rage that was now boiled over. For a moment, Gen seethed at the pain to his back from the impact, his arms falling out from their crossed position and to his sides, but his eyes didn't leave hers. She was angry, but now she was confrontational about it, and this is why Gen pushed her. Now that she was at this state, she had no choice but to unleash it, and while he was frightened a bit at how that could manifest, he would take all of it with no judgment towards her in whatever was left behind in the aftermath.</p>
<p>“So fucking what!? So what if I did feel something more for him? So what if Luna's at his side now and I'm not? So what if he changed his mind and fell in love with another woman? So what if I lost my chance to tell him?” she screamed, shaking the man as she went off on her tirade, “None of it matters anymore! Absolutely none of it! You've seen those smiles! He's happy! Isn't that what matters the most? So what if it isn't with me? So what if I'm not the one that makes him happy? So what if he doesn't love me like that!? It doesn't matter anymore what I feel, because he chose her!”</p>
<p>The tears poured down her face uncontrollably, her voice cracking the longer she went on, the fury she had dissolving into despair. “So what...” she tried to say, her breathing so uneven as she sobbed, “So what does it matter... anymore?”</p>
<p>There it was, the breaking point. Kohaku couldn't keep herself in check anymore, her legs starting to give way as she lowered her head, eyes closed as her forehead brushed against Gen's chest, “It doesn't... it doesn't...”</p>
<p>The grip on his clothes began to loosen, her face burying itself into his chest now, letting out the most painful of wretched sobs she had ever emitted before. Gen sighed, relieved that her anger didn't manifest into physical violence as he worried about, although it wasn't as though he was pleased with this reaction either. But she needed to let it out, needed to bring it out to the surface, confront it instead of confining it. He slid down against the door with her, her knees finally buckling as she broke into a thousand pieces, arms going up to hold her gingerly and calmly, stroking her back as she continued to cry against him.</p>
<p>Her throat was raw, she still felt like throwing up, and her body felt like lead. But she felt some sort of strange relief now in having Gen there, having him hold her and whisper reassuring things in her ear. The warmth of his embrace and the soothing strokes against her back somehow made each sob a bit less of a pain as they came past her lips. She hated him for making her face this as he did, but as the sobs began to quiet, there was a bit of light in the dark clouds of her heart thanks to his uncharacteristic care.</p>
<p>Eventually, they subsided enough for her to shakily pull back to face him, seeing a gentle smile stretched across his lips with equally gentle eyes watching her. “You done for now, Kohaku-chan?” he asked, the question normally would tick her off in how it was phrased, but the way he spoke it almost made her want to laugh.</p>
<p>“I think I probably cried all of the water out of my body,” she joked, coughing a bit as she tried to speak due to her strained throat, “Ow... that hurt.”</p>
<p>“Do you want me to get some water for you?”</p>
<p>She shook her head, and he understood. One arm went up to rub her eyes and nose, trying to wipe away the signs of her breakdown mostly successfully, although her usually vibrant orbs were now sore and red. “Damn it... you're such an asshole, you know that,” she muttered, coughing again while he chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.</p>
<p>“So I've been told,” he replied with a bit of his signature egotism, although that front of his didn't stay up for long, “But you can understand why, correct?”</p>
<p>“... A little bit. It hurts, though.”</p>
<p>He knew she wasn't just referring to the physical pain. Her hands began to quiver again, her grip on his clothes long since relaxed but now resting nearly flat against him. Their eyes fell away, but he didn't look away from her, watching as she bite her bottom lip. A mechanism to keep her from crying again, no doubt.</p>
<p>“... Have you ever felt this way, Gen?”</p>
<p>“I can't say that I have. To be frank, my career made it hard to really have those sort of feelings for someone, let alone a relationship.”</p>
<p>“I'm starting to think you're the lucky one.”</p>
<p>She sniffled, once again rubbing her face before returning to her place against him. He lessened his hold enough for her to move back further if she wanted, but she remained still in his arms, not quite wanting to leave that comfort zone yet. “This crap hurts,” she muttered, “It really hurts. And I want to hate both of them for it, but I know that isn't right, so I just hate myself even more so for thinking that way. And the more I hate myself, the more it hurts. And I can't just jump in between them and try and break them apart. That's not right. If they're in love, then that's it. I can't be spiteful towards them because of how I feel. But that just makes the pain even worse.”</p>
<p>She looked at him, eyes pleading for some sort of answer, hoping that – despite his inexperience – he would be able to tell her something good, something right. “How do I make this pain go away?”</p>
<p>Gen frowned at her loathing rant, but quirked a brow at her question. He sighed, taking a hand away from its circle around her upper torso to brush through his hair in a momentary bout of uncertainty with his potential answer. “I really don't know how to answer that, Kohaku-chan, I'm sorry to say,” he replied sadly, although he was not as disheartened as she was.</p>
<p>Fingers subtly flexed against his chest, and she let out a painful scoff. She shouldn't have been surprised by the answer, but it didn't make it any less upsetting. He knew that she was seeking a comforting answer, but he couldn't offer one that he wasn't sure existed. His arms subtly wrapped a bit tighter around her.</p>
<p>“All I can do is offer this advice. One, when you've calmed down, you need to ask Senku to speak to him in private. Tell him how you feel, and deal with the rejection and fallout from there,” he said, her eyes returning to meet his own, “It's going to hurt, but you can't get to step two without telling him what you feel. You can't try and keep up your friendship with him if you don't talk to him either.”</p>
<p>It sounded simpler than it actually was, and Kohaku wanted to laugh at it, but instead nodded her head, understanding what he was saying so far, “And step two?”</p>
<p>He sighed again, knowing full well she wasn't going to like this part, “You move on.”</p>
<p>Lids and brows lowered at that answer, just as he expected. Of course she wasn't going to be thrilled with the idea of just throwing away the feelings she has, at least not right now. So he clarified his statement, “I'm not saying that to move on right away. But eventually, over time, you can. Senku won't be the only man you'll ever love, I'm sure of it. And certainly, someone out there will want to love you in the same way you love him right now.”</p>
<p>This time she laughed, a loud and dark sort of laugh, laced with every ounce of sarcasm she could emit. “Oh yeah, THAT sounds right. Yeah, won't that be the day? When someone falls in love with the gorilla,” she spat out with venom, “I think you've lost your mind there a bit, Gen.”</p>
<p>Head tilted to one side, a bit of confusion etched onto his brow, “Why do you say that?”</p>
<p>She shook her head with a scoff and sigh, her lips twisted into a pained smile. “You're right. I may fall in love again. But someone falling in love with me? I actually have my doubts about that,” she replied, head falling back and tilting like his, but there was a deep darkness to her expression that unnerved the mentalist, “I'm not like Ruri or Yuzuriha or Minami or any of the other girls back home. I'm a gorilla, a lioness, a beast. Hell, I doubt even Senku actually would love me back because I'm just this sort of creature.”</p>
<p>She chuckled again, a low vibrating sort of noise that shook her entire frame, and a disturbing feeling settled in the pit of Gen's stomach. “H-hey, don't say that, Kohaku-chan! There's men out there that kinda like that sort of aspect in a woman!” he tried to reassure her, but all it did was make her eyes glimmer with more of that dark void.</p>
<p>“Yeah, sure.”</p>
<p>“I'm serious! But you shouldn't just focus on that! You're also a rather beautiful woman too. You got beauty and brawn, and that's a great combination.”</p>
<p>“Uh-huh. Sure it is.”</p>
<p>“It really is! You also have a strong brain, and an even stronger heart. You care a lot for your friends and family, willing to do anything for the ones you love. You're not giving yourself a lot of credit right now, and I understand why, but you're really a wonderful and amazing person. Any man worth his salt would be able to see that, and it'd be a surprise if one didn't fall in love with you!”</p>
<p>The fake smile she had faltered slightly, leaning forward slightly while gazing up at him through wet lashes, “Could you fall in love with me then, Gen?”</p>
<p>He was taken aback by the sudden question, his face heating up with a bright pink blush over his cheeks, trying to stammer out an answer, but every word he could try to get out came out in a blubbering mess. Kohaku laughed at his feeble attempt, “I was joking. But thank you for at least trying to answer.”</p>
<p>She looked away, the bitterness that surrounded and filled her taking over, pushing herself gently against him and out of his arms, finally putting distance between them. He watched as she crossed her arms over her chest, fingers embedding themselves against her skin, as if to wrap her body up within herself, head turned to stare off at the floor. “I'm not going to put much hope into such a bullshit thing, but it'd be nice if it happened,” she mumbled, “I just really doubt it.”</p>
<p>“Kohaku-chan,” he whispered, swallowing down the lump that formed in his throat.</p>
<p>She was trying to close herself off again, but this time not from anger, but from absolute despair, hitting one of the lowest points of her life. The pain was hitting almost twice as hard, although this wasn't Gen's fault. She was grateful for his efforts, but right now, all of his words felt hollow and contrived. She was filled with nothing but that self-loathing that she's felt all day, and certainly nothing right now could break her from that.</p>
<p>Although that didn't stop Gen from trying. He moved closer to her, reaching out and grasping one of her wrists, pulling her out of her crumpled state, the other hand moving and grasping at her chin, curled fingers forcing her to look up at him. “Listen to me, please, Kohaku-chan,” he started his plea, “You may not want to believe it right now, but everything I said, I meant it. You're strong, beautiful, and intelligent, and you have the largest heart that I've ever known. Yes, Ruri-chan and the other ladies have their own charms, but you should never compare yourself to them. You're you. And that's a beautiful thing.”</p>
<p>Tears began to form and fall down Kohaku's cheeks again, and he brushed a thumb over her cheek to wipe them away, smiling softly at her as he did before, “Well, seems like you haven't cried out all of the water yet.”</p>
<p>She laughed, albeit in a choked out sort of way, bringing a hand up to wipe her eyes as well, “Yeah, seems so.”</p>
<p>A more true smile returned to Kohaku's features and Gen was more than happy to see it. “Good to see you smiling again,” he complimented her, brushing away the bangs from her face as she subtly blushed at his remark.</p>
<p>“I guess... I'm so sorry, Gen. For being so forceful to you, and for all of this too,” she apologized, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling herself against him in an affectionate hug, “Thank you for everything, truly.”</p>
<p>He returned the hug with equal care, nuzzling his cheek against the side of her head, “Of course, Kohaku-chan.”</p>
<p>After a few minutes, they pulled away from each other, smiling softly at one another before he playfully tousled her hair, making her pout in annoyance. “Why don't you go to bed and get some more sleep for a bit? Surely you're feeling drained now, more so than before,” he suggested, “I'll check in on you later, okay?”</p>
<p>She watched as he stood up from the floor, stretching for a moment to get rid of the cramps in his muscles for sitting on it for as long as he was, leaving her one last smile before turning around, his hand on the handle of the door and was ready to turn it to leave.</p>
<p>“Wait.”</p>
<p>Her quiet call and her hand reached out, grasping at the overcoat, forcing him to turn back around to see her with a pleading look on her face. “Please, don't go yet,” she whispered.</p>
<p>Gen's heart started to race a bit more in his chest than it should at her begging. He turned around, watching as she stood up as well, meeting her gaze more eye-to-eye, “What else do you need, Kohaku-chan?”</p>
<p>“Stay with me. Hold me. At least until I fall asleep. Please.”</p>
<p>That thumping grew extra louder as did the heat on his cheeks. “Th-that seems highly inappropriate, don't you think?” he asked, and she felt some semblance of embarrassment in his correct assumption, but she nibbled on her bottom lip for a moment to settle it.</p>
<p>“When you held me earlier... it was really warm and comforting,” she replied, her wavy gaze moving from the floor and back to him as she spoke, “So I...”</p>
<p>His mouth fell open slightly as she spoke, the look he had towards her causing her to blush and feel more embarrassed about her request, and she almost told him to forget it when he finally and sheepishly agreed, much to her relief. She reached out and grasped his hand, wrapping her fingers around his palm, leading him to her bed. He removed his overcoat and dropped it to the floor next to her now-removed sandals before following her onto the bed, wrapping his arms around her after she tucked them both in with her blanket. She nuzzled her face against his chest, feeling and hearing the sound of his heartbeat, pretending to ignore how much faster it was beating at his resting state. She smiled, very softly, closing her eyes with a sigh of relief.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Gen.”</p>
<p>He rubbed her back, laying his chin against the top of her head, “Of course, Kohaku-chan.”</p>
<p>----------</p>
<p>Gen's eyes slowly reopened sometime later, although he wasn't sure of when exactly he fell asleep. It wasn't his intention to fall asleep, of course, fully ready to leave once she had fallen into her own deep slumber, but instead he soaked up the warmth from her and the blanket, shut his eyes for merely a moment, and now who knows how much time had passed. Based on the grumbling in his stomach, it was likely sometime in the evening, several hours passing since he last ate.</p>
<p>Although he didn't care all that much about food. What became his focus once his brain was more released from slumber's hold was Kohaku, who was still sleeping soundly and curled up without care against him, her fingers curled up in the fabric of his yukata.</p>
<p>He was actually relieved that she was still asleep. Not just for his own relief, as he knew it would've been awkward if the situations were reversed, but also because she needed it. With so many heavy feelings to process, on top of likely still be worn out from the battle before, he knew that – despite her reservoirs of strength – her body needed the extra sleep. He wouldn't be surprised if she slept for a few hours longer, based off of that theory, and he honestly hoped she did. He knew that, once she woke up, she would likely start crying all over again, this time over debate on whether or not to start step one of the recovery process.</p>
<p>He pulled back a bit from her, enough to move and gaze upon her slumbering face. The mentalist chuckled softly to himself, seeing a little speck of drool from her lips. He couldn't help but find her to be rather cute in her sleeping state. To be frank, there always was a little bit of cuteness to her, although this was the first time he actually paid attention to such an element of her. If it weren't for the current situation that brought them to this point, the temptation to tease her about her drooling in her sleep would be a lot stronger, but he would spare her that. For now.</p>
<p>Instead of wanting to tease her, he thought back about the latter part of their conversation. Over her self-hatred and doubt, and of his honest praise of her. But namely, his focus turned to that of the question he was too tongue-tied to answer earlier. That secret smile he held as he watched her turned into a straight line, unable to tell what he was feeling or thinking if one were to look upon him now. That was one hell of a loaded question, even if it was said in some sort of twisted jest. He was so taken aback by it that all of his powers and talents couldn't save him from sounding entirely nonsensical.</p>
<p>It was the aftermath of that, however, that got him the most. He didn't acknowledge it at the time, but he watched how, despite her laughter, her expression became dejected and pained, as if he had said “no” to her versus whatever noises came from his lips. As if he, too, was rejecting her, despite all of this praise he held and shared to her. And that pain was never one he intended to inflict.</p>
<p>In the quiet of the room and still holding her close to him, Gen had more time to think about that question. The mentalist never thought about her – or anyone else, for that matter – in such a way before. He tried to fancy himself a ladies' man, with dreams of having a harem at his beck and call, although even with that, it was more due to his selfish nature. He was superficial and self-serving to a fault, although the years spent in the stone world has definitely shifted the way he thought, felt, and acted. He still was all of those things, but he had – surprisingly, to himself – learned to care for and do more for others, while still keeping the guise of his selfish persona intact. Although some people have learned to see further past it to see the true person he actually held beneath those manipulative smiles.</p>
<p>Kohaku was one of those people, and because of that, their relationship had grown leaps and bounds from how it was before. So much has changed since those initial days, from when she didn't hesitate to put a blade to his throat if he even thought of stepping out line. Now he had fallen asleep alongside her while cuddling and holding her close to him, and she was able to be her most vulnerable with him. Nothing from those first few months together would've ever given him indication that this would be where they were now. And he was actually grateful for how far they had come. They still had their moments of conflict, but overall their relationship was strong, filled with care and trust.</p>
<p>Fingers brushed back her bangs from her face. Her question... could he fall in love with her?</p>
<p>She stirred at the touch, although all she did was curl herself a centimeter closer to him. He smiled, chuckling again, lowering his head in order to leave a small but meaningful kiss to her forehead, whispering the answer against her skin.</p>
<p>“Yes... yes, I could.”</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <strong>- end -</strong>
  </i>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okay, so... while I was coming up with the initial story for “When Push Comes To Shove”, I actually had ideas that I ended up axing, because at the time, I didn't think that they'd fit the current narrative I had written out. These ideas actually included some NSFW elements that I thought still work for the story, but not at the time when I wrote it. However, now that my mind is transitioning over towards NaNo mode and I'm thinking about elements for my upcoming challenge – if you've followed me on Twitter, I've been talking about this being a large SenHaku story with some minor elements of GenHaku/GenKoha – I actually thought about setting some of it within the same headcanon/universe of “When Push Comes to Shove”, but with an inclusion of some of the elements I initially left out. So, before NaNo begins, I wanted to write up this chapter to bridge that gap, as it were, to sections of my upcoming fic as to try and have those ideas make sense. Please enjoy!</p><p>… I admit, I think I'm taking some liberties on the inner workings of the Perseus. I'm still reading through the manga, and I probably missed a lot of primary details about the ship since I only read through things once so far. So uh... please take some of my placings as a canon divergent situation? Sorry about that!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Kohaku awoke from her nap, Gen was not there, but there was still a hint of him in the room. That hint being his violet overcoat, him leaving it in the room with her and within her arms. She blushed as she realized that she was cuddling with a piece of his clothing, but smiled all the same, happy that he had left something behind for her to still experience the comfort she had gained from him.</p><p>She yawned, trying to shake off the veil of grogginess that settled over her from her sleep, wiping her lip of drool that had seeped from her mouth. She mentally blanched at the thought of Gen waking up and seeing her doing such a thing, knowing that he would tease her when he had the opportunity to do so. Although, she supposed since she had made such a selfish request of him, she would endure his teasing... for once.</p><p>Sitting up in bed, her hands went up to the tie-knot in her hair, adjusting it as it became loose in her slumber, before she swung her legs over the side of the bed, tossing the blanket that covered her off of her and into a pile near the end of it. She moved to where she had displaced her sandals, sitting back down on the bed as she placed them back on, tightening them around her and making sure they kept in place. Her gaze went towards where she had placed her shield and blade – leaned up against a small nightstand that held a battery-operated makeshift lantern – not having touched them since the return to the Perseus knowing that the threats were gone at the moment, but thought against it, leaving them be where she left them. She flicked the switch on the lantern, giving the room a soft glow.</p><p>Her gaze turned towards Gen's coat. He usually is never without it, and she pondered if, above deck, there was anyone wondering where it might be. Of course, he could easily come up with a lie on its location, saying that it was in his room or it was drying after being washed or something. However, depending on the context of the lie, she pondered if her appearing with his coat in hand would bring forth suspicion. She definitely didn't want to think of what rumors could spark if certain someones – in particularly lewd-thinking folks like Ginro – caught sight of Kohaku holding and returning the cover to its rightful owner. However, she knew that she couldn't just keep it, and asking him to come with her just to return it would likely also be just as off-putting if caught.</p><p>She blushed again; she wasn't sure if she liked this “awakening” of alertness she had for potential romantic situations she now had. She wasn't like Kirisame, whom would immediately turn red at the mere thought of romance, but now she couldn't get herself to stop thinking of the awkward situation she could find herself in. Why should she care what other people think? Although, perhaps she was more concerned about one particular person and what he could think if he saw such an intimate thing...</p><p>She sighed, “Damn it...”</p><p>Fingers delicately gripped the cloth, bringing it up into her arms, her lids drooping softly as she stared at the coat, folding it over her arms in a gentle hold. It was scratchy, dirty, and wrecked, but she still felt some semblance of warmth from it, and a scent that was clearly all his own. Why she felt so determined to keep Gen by her side after her break down was beyond her. Perhaps because she really appreciated his honesty and kindness, seeing a side of him – like he had seen a side of her – that she hadn't really known. A side that totally contradicted his self-serving and superficial nature. A side that he would occasionally let slip slightly if it meant a personal gain down the line. But there was nothing to gain from this, not that Kohaku could think of. It was she, this time, that was selfish, wanting to not let go of that break in his character.</p><p>Subconsciously, she brought it up close to her face, nuzzling her chin and cheek against it, sighing again. Then, all at once, her gears turned, thinking about something more silly. Shifting the coat to one arm, the other went towards the tie on her rope belt, undoing it and tossing it onto the bed. She proceeded to slip the coat on over her arms, the oversized fabric drowning her in a sea of purple, taking the belt and tying it back around her waist, pulling the coat in around her. She gave herself the look-over, the long coat now covering her entire body, almost like a long dress, little hints of her own clothes peeking through the split. She sort of wished that she had that one thing Yuzuriha uses for modeling – a mirror, she thinks it was called – to check out how she actually looked, but in her own twirl she saw it, and she laughed at how goofy she actually looked in it.</p><p>“At least this isn't as annoying as those dresses I had to wear,” she remarked to herself, moving around as if she was performing fighting maneuvers, finding it still relatively easy to move in despite the flowing sleeves, referencing the time on Treasure Island when she had to go undercover as a “beautiful lady” to infiltrate and obtain the Medusa.</p><p>Her maneuvers stopped as she thought back on those events, at the end of it after she was de-petrified. When Ginro was saved, and then subsequently punched for his perverted attempts to grab her, and how she met Senku's gaze in the aftermath of all that happened. How he smirked at her as she approached, how he didn't pull away as she wrapped her arms around him, how she hugged him both in gratefulness to his rescue of everyone and in her relief that he was alright. It was that moment, she was certain, when she started to become more aware of her growing feelings. The feelings were always there, of course, but that had to be the moment that sparked her actual awareness of them, as she would catch herself thinking about Senku in ways that she never did before, but wasn't aware of what those thoughts actually meant. At least, up until she bore witness to Luna and her interactions with the scientist and that meaning crashed into her like waves would hit the outsides of the ship.</p><p>Great, now her eyes were starting to burn again, and she viciously wiped at them to keep the tears that were forming from falling down her cheeks. Damn, she really hated this sort of awareness of her own mind and heart; it was really driving her crazy.</p><p>A loud knock came on her door, and instantly she began to panic. “Shit--!” she seethed out, trying to rush and undo the knot of her belt, trying to remove herself from the coat before whomever it was came in through the door.</p><p>However, she didn't even have a chance to slide the sleeves off of her arms before there was another knock, followed by the door opening. “Miss Kohaku?” came the familiar voice of Francois, the kingdom's resident chef and overall master of many talents, “I was informed by Master Gen that you were not feeling well, so I brought you some tea and soup to help.”</p><p>Kohaku sighed, relieved that it was just Francois; out of the people on the ship, they was the only person that she didn't mind seeing her in her silly state; she wouldn't even want Gen to see her wearing his clothes, lest she deal with even worse teasing than what she'd get for drooling in her sleep! The butler was highly professional, and she wouldn't bat an eye at the huntress being dressed in someone else's clothes. Letting the sleeves fall down her arms naturally, Kohaku smiled at her visitor, “Thank you, Francois. I'm starting to feel a lot better, but I really appreciate you bringing this to me.”</p><p>“Of course. I am glad that you are feeling well, and I am sure Master Gen will be as well. Shall I inform him?” she replied, faintly smiling herself as she placed the tray carrying the food and drink on the end of the bed, momentarily holding it up with one hand as she effortlessly brushed back the haphazard blanket in order to give a more smooth surface for the tray to rest upon.</p><p>“No, I'll tell him myself, thank you,” Kohaku replied, waving her hands frantically to try and emphasize her statement, “Although, would you happen to know if Yuzuriha is busy? I'd actually like to talk to her about something.”</p><p>“Hmm... last I saw Miss Yuzuriha, she was above deck, working with Master Kaseki on some sort of project. I did not inquire on what it was. Should I tell her that you are wanting her?”</p><p>“No, that's fine. I'll go up and see her in a few minutes. After I eat.”</p><p>“Very good, Miss Kohaku. I will take my leave, then. Please enjoy, and I will come back to gather your utensils later.”</p><p>With a small bow, much to Kohaku's chagrin – she never really was a fan of Francois' subservience when it came to her, but namely because it was just felt so weird to her, being as independent as she was – Francois turned back towards the door, opening it up and pausing just right outside of the door.</p><p>“If you forgive me for speaking out of turn,” she began, turning towards the young huntress with a smile of her own, “But I think you look rather adorable wearing Master Gen's overcoat, Miss Kohaku.”</p><p>The blonde blushed promptly, and Francois chuckled to themselves as she left, pulling the door close behind her. Of course, Kohaku knew there were moments, rare as they were, where Francois would let their professional demeanor slip, but she didn't peg this to be one of those moments. Although, perhaps it shouldn't have been a surprise; after all, she was doing something out of her own character in wearing the coat as it was. Grabbing her belt from the floor – the only thing she managed to pull off in the time span she had – she removed the coat from around her body and retied the rope around her waist, tightening her dress around her again. She placed it down on the bed as she grabbed the cup of tea, downing it in a matter of seconds, before taking the bowl of soup, greedily eating it in a few bites, wiping her lips of the mess it left behind. With both of them back on the tray, she picked up Gen's coat again, folding it into a neat square and holding it against her body, moving towards and out her door, closing it tightly behind her. As she climbed the stairs upward, she noticed that night was already settling over the land, making her realize how much time had passed since she had first laid down.</p><p>Sure as day, Yuzuriha was above deck, in one undisturbed corner of the ship, with Kaseki beside her, working on a drawing of something on a large scroll of paper, a makeshift lantern sitting between them to light their work. “Hey, what are you two up to?” she inquired as she approached them, kneeling down on one side, making sure to keep out of the way of the work.</p><p>“Hey, Kohaku! Well, after everything we just went through, and now that there's a big need to do some reconstruction, we're coming up with new ideas for everyone's comfort on the ship to present to Senku! Especially since we now have access to a bunch of things we didn't have before,” Yuzuriha greeted the young huntress, “I know the priority is going to be for the revival fluid, but there's a lot of uses for corn that we can come up with, plus all of the new technology we have!”</p><p>“Oh~” Kohaku remarked, eyes widening and sparkling, “Sounds really cool!”</p><p>For a few moments, she sat there in eager silence, listening to the explanations of what was already drawn up, forgetting about her problems that she wanted to try and discuss with the seamstress – knowing full well that she was one of the few on the ship that could understand what she was going through – as well as forgetting about Gen's coat folded up tightly against her frame. At least, until Yuzuriha glanced up from the work, noticing the purple fabric in Kohaku's arms.</p><p>“Hey, isn't that Gen's overcoat?” she inquired.</p><p>“O-oh! Yeah, it is!” Kohaku explained, realizing how caught up she was, her cheeks turning pink, “I saw it hanging over the balcony when I was coming up from below and thought it was going to get blown away! I have no idea why it was there in the first place!”</p><p>“I thought I heard him say something awhile ago about it being put out to dry after he spilled something on it,” Kaseki remarked, and Kohaku felt relieved to hear that he had already laid the groundwork for the reason why he wasn't wearing the coat, that crafty bat bastard.</p><p>“Oh? Then that's what happened. It wasn't wet when I grabbed it, so I guess it's dry now,” she quickly accepted the out she was given, and neither of her onlookers bat an eye at her reaction.</p><p>“If you want to find him, I think last time I saw him, he was with Taiju and Chrome. Something about wanting to explore the land before it got too dark. But that was awhile ago,” Yuzuriha commented, echoing that both of them had not seen the mentalist recently, realizing how much time likely had passed since she had became engrossed in the project she was doing.</p><p>“That's okay. If anything, I'm sure I can ask Ukyo or Suika; they're always able to find people,” Kohaku reassured, waving off the young lady's concerns, “I'll check in with you two later. Have fun!”</p><p>“See ya~” Yuzuriha said with a happy song in her voice, letting Kohaku go while she went back to focusing entirely on the work at hand, the blonde standing up and walking away, letting out a sigh of relief that she was able to get away with her lie about the possession she had in her arms.</p><p>She tried to fold it up a bit smaller, hoping that she could hide it a bit easier, as she continued to walk along the decks, passing by others that, thankfully, seemed to pay her no mind. She tried to look around for any signs of the mentalist, or of the two known to last be with him, but didn't catch sight of them, the idea crossing her mind that perhaps they were all on land. She sighed; yeah, that made the most sense when she thought about it. Chrome was certainly trying to find new materials that he didn't have available to him back home, and Taiju – being the eager muscle that he is – likely volunteered to help with any of the heavy lifting that may be required. As for why Gen would be with them... honestly, that was a mystery, but it's plausible that Chrome – learning from Senku and Kaseki – dragged him along, needing a third party member and perhaps Senku wasn't available.</p><p>Speaking of Senku... she tried to ignore the pain in her chest as she thought about running into him. Her mind was fresh with pain, but also knew that, at some point, she would need to try and talk to him. Gen was right in what she had to do, although it wasn't going to be easy. But she had to do it. Had to put on her best smile and face him, ask him to speak to her in private, and just tell him how she feels, and whatever outcome happens she'll face it as well. She knew that it wasn't good to leave things as it was. If she kept her feelings locked up, it would eat her alive as well as possibly damaging what relationship she shared with the scientist. Having him reject her feelings would hurt, but losing the friendship would be even worse, and she would not let that happen. Although she knew there was risk that their friendship could be damaged anyway... no, she tried not to think that way. Senku was the most level-headed person she's ever known; even if it took days to figure things out, they would be able to talk through every aspect of the new information. He wouldn't want their friendship to dissolve either, and he would make certain that it wouldn't. That's just how Senku is, and it's something she highly admired of him.</p><p>She didn't realize that she was making her way towards the engineering room, where Senku often spent his time, only becoming aware of it as she realized the path she was taking. “Wow, I was really sidetracked,” she mumbled to herself, mentally critiquing herself, but then steeling up her nerves as she came close to the entrance way to the room. There was some light coming from it, telling her that someone was in there, and she could only guess that it was Senku. She hoped it was. Now that she had thought about this as heavily as she was, this was her chance to confront him. If he wasn't alone, then she could ask him to meet up with her. If he was alone, then they could talk now. Either way, she was now determined. This was going to happen somehow or another, so might as well take advantage of it now. Especially since her feet were mere centimeters from the door, body mere seconds from turning the corner to peek inside.</p><p>“Hey, Senku, are you in here? If you have a few moments, I was hoping that we could--”</p><p>All other words died on her lips, as well as her heart stopping in her chest, as she looked inside of the engineering room. Senku was there, but he wasn't alone. By his side was Luna. On its own, that wouldn't be any cause of alarm – certainly she was just as curious about how the ship worked as anyone else was – but what made everything stop for her wasn't just the medical student's presence.</p><p>It was her, leaned in super close to Senku, her lips upon his own, both of their eyes shut – hers relaxed, his tight – and one set of hands upon the console of the navigation threaded with one another's, both completely unaware that Kohaku was there, watching them. And just like that, the huntress' entire world shattered into pieces. For a moment, she thought there was maybe hope – hope that maybe what she witnessed before wasn't romantic, that he was just friendly with her because it was his way of welcoming her into the fold, being grateful that she saved his life the way she did, so perhaps that, once she could talk with Senku, there was a chance that maybe there was the ability to form something more than just the friendship bonds they had – but not anymore. It was now gone, becoming the hole in her chest where her heart once resided.</p><p>The two parted ways, eyes opening again, heads turning towards the entryway, noticing the audience that they had. They were both blushing, but there was differences in their expressions. Whereas Luna was blushing because she was embarrassed, Senku seemed almost guilty. “Ko-kohaku,” he stammered oddly, never one that usually did such a thing, his crimson eyes dilated and shocked.</p><p>The grip on Gen's coat grew tighter, subconsciously on Kohaku's part, as ocean met crimson. Why did Senku look like he had done something wrong? There wasn't a reason for it that she could figure out. He was kissing his girlfriend. She may not have her own personal experience to go off of, but she knew that kissing your significant other was nothing to be guilty of. But perhaps it was because she caught them in the act, and now he was guilty that he was clearly going against the words he had made clear to her on their first meeting. But what should that matter? She already knew that didn't matter; he had every right to change his mind and he did, and that's nothing to be guilty about. Especially since it's not like he knew she was going to develop romantic feelings for him, let alone preparing herself to confess them or anything like that. So why was he looking at her like this!? Why did he stutter her name like that!? Why!? <i>WHY!?</i></p><p>She smiled, trying to hide her turmoil behind a facade, the instinct to flee overtaking her mind. “Oops! Looks like I walked in on something. Sorry about that!” she exclaimed, louder than she probably should have, “I'll leave you two alone!”</p><p>“Wait, Kohaku--!” Senku yelled out to her, but she didn't listen.</p><p>“See ya!” she yelled as she waved them off.</p><p>She ran away faster than her legs probably ever moved before, running back up to the deck and back towards her room. She ran past anyone that got in her path, much to the confusion and irritation of most of them, but she didn't care. She just wanted to get back to her room, back behind the door that locked her away from everyone else, where she could just cry out her despair to nothing and no one. She didn't even care about the fact that she was still holding onto the clothing that didn't belong to her, forgetting what exactly it was in her grief, but yet she still held onto it as if her life depended on it.</p><p>As she was coming up the stairs from the engineering room, the trio of Chrome, Taiju, and Gen were returning. They were out doing exactly what Kohaku figured they were: exploring for new materials and elements that the sorcerer hadn't seen before, with Taiju as muscle and Gen as the forced helping hand. While Taiju held most of the materials in his large knapsack, the other men had their own packs, all of them filled to the brim with whatever they got their hands on, Chrome and Gen carrying lights that helped to guide their path. They were chattering away about the past few hours they were out when Kohaku made her way past them, shocking them with how fast she was moving.</p><p>“Hey, Kohaku! What the heck was that about!?” Chrome yelled after her, annoyed with his childhood friend over her lack of awareness as she sprinted past them, while Taiju just blinked, confused as to why she would be running so quickly across the slippery deck.</p><p>Gen, on the other hand, couldn't keep his eyes off of her. She moved too fast to clearly see it, but he could sense there was something wrong with her. The way she kept her head down, the way her arms seemed to clutch at her chest... something happened. And surely, it was related to her relationship problem from before. He slid his pack off of his shoulders, handing it to Taiju with an apology for the extra work.</p><p>“I'll go and check on her,” he explained, reassuring them both that he would find out the reason behind her carelessness, giving chase to her direction, knowing full well where she was going.</p><p>She was already in her room with the door slammed shut by the time he made his way down into the sleeping barracks, hearing it clearly as he ascended the middle stairs. Walking slowly towards her door, he stopped in front of it, pausing for a moment before lifting one arm and gently knocking on the barrier.</p><p>“Kohaku-chan?” he called out to her, keeping his voice steady and calm.</p><p>There wasn't a response at first, and so he knocked on the door again. “Kohaku-chan? It's me. Can you please let me in?” he called out again, this time more insistent.</p><p>This time there was a response. A very faint one, but he heard it: “Come in.”</p><p>Turning the handle and opening up the door, he saw Kohaku laying on the floor, curled into a ball, his coat in her hands and her face buried in it. He shut the door quickly behind him, cutting them off from the outside forces, kneeling down behind her, placing a soft hand on her shoulder. She didn't react at first, continuing to remain in the fetal position that she was. However, as his hand brushed through her hair, pulling her bangs back from her face, she turned to face him, allowing him to see all of the tears and pain that was on her face.</p><p>“What happened, Kohaku-chan?” he asked, helping to lift her up onto her knees, letting out a small groan as she fell instantly against his body, her forehead settling on his shoulder and arms still wrapped around the folded fabric she's held for so long now.</p><p>She sobbed hard, uncontrolled, against him, her entire body shaking from the force of it. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him, her arms finally releasing the lifeline she's held onto to cling to him, fingers digging into the back of his yukata. Gen frowned, trying to keep his composure calm for her, rubbing her back as he provided the comfort she needed. This breakdown was just as bad, if not worse, as the one from as earlier, he remarked to himself, concluding that the reaction was caused by a confrontation with Senku. While he was gone, did she have the chance to talk to him, then? Was she rejected? He had his suspicions that it wasn't that, however. No, he was leaning toward a different hypothesis, something that better explained why Kohaku seemed entirely broken in the way that she was...</p><p>“It's too late, Gen... I can't tell him now,” she eventually spoke, her voice cracked with sobs and muffled by her face still being buried against him.</p><p>“Hmm? Why's that?” he asked, whispering his concerns.</p><p>“I saw them... kissing... they were kissing!”</p><p>And the line of thinking the mentalist was walking was proven correct. His lips stayed in a straight line, a heaviness filling his chest. It was sympathy, sympathy of her pain, and understanding of her reaction now. His hold grew subtly tighter, as did her grip on his clothes.</p><p>“This hurts... it hurts. And what's bullshit about is that Senku had the nerve to look guilty that I saw them,” her sobs turned into rage, “Why!? Was he guilty that he got caught? Why should he? It's not like he lied to me about his feelings towards romance. He changed his mind. That's not lying. So why would he be guilty? How dare he be guilty!? He has nothing to be guilty for! He's the one that agreed to be her boyfriend! He made that choice! So why!?”</p><p>The sobbing and shaking continued after she let out the rage, and all Gen could do was hold her tighter. “Kohaku-chan,” he spoke her name softly, the only words he could say in the moment, one hand pressing itself into her hair, stroking the back of her head with gentle motions.</p><p>“Damn it... I hate this. I hate all of this! All of these feelings, him, her, everything! I hate hurting, I hate crying! Damn it... damn it!” she cursed, pulling herself back to look up at him, “Why... why does this all have to happen? Why did I have to realize these feelings? And why does it hurt so bad?”</p><p>Gen frowned, his own face strained as he knew that she desperately wanted answers. But what answers could he even give her? He sighed, bringing his hands to her face, brushing away her tears with his thumbs. “I don't know, Kohaku-chan,” he said sadly, “I really wish I could give you all of the answers you're seeking, but I don't know what I can tell you. I'm so sorry that I can't give you them, I really am.”</p><p>She looked crestfallen, more so than she already did, but she already knew what he was going to respond with. She knew that he couldn't answer her, but rather she knew that no one could answer her. Still, she had hoped, and now that hope had failed her. Just like what she had earlier. All of it burying itself in the void of her heart, turning it darker and blacker as she cracked.</p><p>“I... I want the pain to go away. I want all of this to go away.”</p><p>He understood her wish, but didn't know how to grant it. He rested his forehead against hers, “It'll go away. All in time.”</p><p>She bit her lip, seething. She didn't want to wait. She wanted the pain to go away <i>now</i>. He sensed her frustration at his answer, and he frowned further, brushing at her cheeks again. “I'm sorry, Kohaku-chan,” he apologized again, “If I could take it away, I would. I would do anything to bring back the smile to your face and erase the pain from your chest.”</p><p>He meant that sincerely; he hated that she was still like this, hated that she was clinging to him as the only thing she could hold to as she tried to keep herself from drowning in the ocean of hurt and despair that keeps trying to swallow her up whole. He already knew how deeply he cared for the huntress, admitting as such that his feelings could become something more if he were to ever pursue it, and he was finding it surprisingly easy to drop his persona in front of her. Not putting up his selfish, opportunistic front in front of her, entirely and not in small pieces as he had done before. It was a bit of a liberating feeling, he found, allowing himself to be something different with her, even if it only was to be her anchor in the storm she was suffering through.</p><p>She licked her lips, pulling herself back from his touch for a moment, her wet eyes connecting their gaze harshly with his dark cerulean orbs. Tears still threatened to fall, but it was almost like a switch had gone off in her mind, turning the dam off and gears spinning in a different direction. “Then...” she started, the grip on his yukata loosening, “Distract me.”</p><p>“Distract you?” he repeated, brow quirked as he tried to understand her request.</p><p>Within seconds, her hands were at his face, holding it as she leaned up towards him, her lips sealing against his, her eyes shut tight and pushing against him with a desperate ferocity. His breath caught in his throat, his entire body going numb as the shock of what she was doing ran over him, eyes as wide as saucers. He made a small protesting noise against her lips, but she didn't let up, putting more pressure on him as her hands moved and pressed against his shoulders, giving her more leverage against him. He reached for her upper arms, trying to brace against her, but was unable to fully push her back.</p><p>Barely a minute had passed before the ardor cooled, Kohaku releasing him from her advance, sitting back down as she once was, Gen unable to speak or process what had just occurred, his swollen lips now agape as he could only stare at her. She was blank, just staring back at him, before her head lowered, biting her bottom lip, pushing herself out of his grip and away from him, his arms falling to his sides, the coat that was between them spilling onto the floor.</p><p>“Gen, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have-- I mean, I-- Damn it, what the hell is wrong with me!?” she stammered, ultimately cursing herself, “I just... I wanted to-- UGH!”</p><p>She buried her face into her hands, unable to face him anymore, “I'm so, so sorry, Gen... I shouldn't use you like that. I can't use you like that. I just... I just wanted the pain to go away so bad, and I thought that... thought if...”</p><p>He understood. She wanted to turn the pain into pleasure, using him, as she put it, to forget all of the pain and frustration and hurt she was experiencing, even if it was just for a bit. It was an idea that had its merits and downsides – usually the idea of it working in the moment, but becoming a regretful situation come the dawn – although he never thought he'd be on the other side of this sort of trope. If it wasn't for the situation that lead to it and whom it was with, he'd actually be laughing at the irony of it all. Gen Asagiri, the opportunistic mentalist who only desired the very best while doing the bare minimum, being used as a prop... definitely not a twist he expected in his life in the stone world, but he supposed anything was possible in this odd time!</p><p>He didn't laugh, though. Instead, he once again was filled with sympathy. He couldn't empathize, not knowing the pain she was feeling, but in his line of work, he could certainly put together her feelings, and understand the desire to want to push it away for awhile. Why she would want to lash out in the way she did. Although he feared her reaction come the morning if he were to indulge her desire. Would she hate or resent him? Would it make her pain worse? What about with Senku? How would the knowledge that she had acted inappropriately – for lack of a better term – with the resident mentalist affect the working relationship they all had? If she were to score an opportunity to tell him about her feelings, would he now reject her for her actions if she shared it with him? There was many questions with answers that was telling him to gently let her down, to not give into what she desired in the moment, offering again his comfort and advice that he could give her otherwise.</p><p>But yet... there was a part of him that wanted to indulge her. An after-effect of her sudden attack, he supposed, that intrigued him. The feeling of her lips upon his own, the burning desire she had placed upon him, how he felt momentarily dominated by her and finding it to be – dare he say – attractive. Then again, he was already attracted to her, in different ways, but never had it been in this way, and he couldn't help but feel very curious about what could happen if he were to fight back. If he were to shower her with the attention she desired. Wanting to see if she would increase the heat, or allow him to dominate, giving her the pleasure she was seeking to quell the storm. Would it be using him if he was willing, or would it be taking advantage of her instead? Rejecting her would already be bad, as he knew that she would potentially cause her to feel more dejected and he didn't want to add on to her upset, but could returning it be worse?</p><p>“I'm a terrible person, trying something stupid like that! Ugh... you should just go. I'm not in the right state of mind right now. Maybe I'll go back to sleep or something. Seems to be the only time where shit isn't happening to me or anyone else,” she said defeated and loathing, looking up from her palms to him with an equal expression, “I'm so sorry that I even thought about taking advantage of--”</p><p>“Kohaku-chan.”</p><p>The tone of his voice made her stop, lips falling agape as she watched his lips turned into a smile, not a sign of hate or anger in his eyes. Suddenly, the air around them changed, and her heart began to race. He brought one arm behind her back, pulling her up close to him, her hands bracing against his chest, the other reaching and caressing her cheek, keeping her head lifted to meet his own, leaning in with closed eyes to capture her lips with his own. She gasped against him, eyes closing tight upon the impact, flinching as he pushed against her in similar fashion as to what she had done to him.</p><p>Everything was spinning and she was growing dizzy, but at the same time, there was a swelling to her that she didn't want to fight. Despite the shaking throughout her form, her arms moved to around his neck, wrapping around and pulling herself as close to him as she possibly could, returning his kiss with her own, their lips locked in a fiery battle, not sure who would be the one to come out on top. She relaxed against him, letting out a more enjoyable moan as the hand that was on her face snaked around to the back of her head, holding and angling her to provide himself more leverage against her.</p><p>For a brief moment, they would part ways to look at each other, panting as their breaths staggered out of their lips, only to meet again with equal fervor. His tongue darted out to lick at her bottom lip, seeking entrance to her cavern, something that – with a squeak – she agreed, adding a new move to their sinful dance. She moaned again, a sound that Gen was starting to enjoy the more he heard it, her fingers curling into his clothes as she desired more of the pleasure that was sparking through her body.</p><p>They parted again after several minutes, but in no way were they done yet. The moment was too hot, too strong, to let die now. His hands began to explore, running down her back and over the curves of her form, head moving to score a small bite at one of her ears, causing her to shiver and bonelessly moan, her head falling to one side as he trailed burning kisses down the side of her face to her throat. “Ah... Gen...” she whispered, the first words spoken since this session of theirs began, and he chuckled against her neck, finding something very delightful in how she was saying his name.</p><p>He pulled back from her, gazing at her with heat and taking extreme delight in seeing her flushed face, one hand running over the curvature of her waist, thumb ghosting underneath a section of her belt and brushing against the underside of one breast. She shivered again at the unexpected touch, swearing that he could feel her nails pressing into her back as she held tighter to him. She met his gaze, licking her lips as she tried to catch her breath, her chest tight but this time not from sobbing.</p><p>“Gen...” she whispered again, and he smirked, flashing a sight of his canines as he captured her lips again, burning her with another level of fire and passion that she was trying to match, a bite to her bottom appendage causing her to squeak and lose to his devilish ways, once again tied into the dance against his sinful tongue.</p><p>While he was trying to focus more on her and her desire, thoughts couldn't help but shift to the tightness in his pants, realizing that he had not thought all the way through how this act would affect him as well. Of course, he should've thought that it would – it would be impossible to not get aroused, given the heat between them right now – but his initial thoughts were more concerned on the ethics of the act versus his own natural reaction. Thankfully, he was in control at the moment, keeping her from discovering the growing bulge in his pants, not sure if he wanted to get involved with the implications of that with her this evening...</p><p>Although it wasn't as though he was the only one with such problems. Kohaku could feel something growing low in her stomach, a coil that was only getting tighter, and she subconsciously fought against it, finding it increasingly difficult as his fingers made deft work of moving underneath her belt and continuing to tease the underside of her breasts with faint brushes. She was finding the touch increasingly desirable, moaning softly as if to try and coax him to continue his ministrations. One fingers threaded through his split-monochrome locks as the other moved from his back to his chest, sliding itself under the hem of his yukata and upward towards his shoulder, feeling hints of his warm skin against her palm, leaning against the hold of his arms as he went back to her throat, leaving those searing marks that she wasn't sure she wanted to go away. The sleeves of her dress fell down her shoulders, gaining him more access to areas of her skin that he didn't have before, leaving tiny nibbles at her shoulder blades and earning more praising moans for his actions.</p><p>However, one heated glance as they looked back at one another's face was all it took for them to realize that they understood what the other was feeling, what the other was wanting, and how it hard was to fight back the urge to give in. Forgotten was all of the tears and pain from before, drown out by the fire, but now there was a new line being drawn in the sand. Do they dare progress beyond this point? Making out was one thing, but do they cross into such intimate territory? The fog covered right and wrong in gray, hard to determine which way to ultimately go.</p><p>But a choice had to be made. Gen licked his lips, an unsettling feeling in his throat, “Kohaku-chan... we can't go beyond this.”</p><p>She gulped, panting again as her chest tightened, “...What?”</p><p>“I know you're feeling the same as I am. But I can't do <i>that</i> for you. We can't.”</p><p>She was sure that he knew his implication, but yet she was still feeling a bit confused, her mind fuzzy. She leaned closer to him, shaking fingers at the shoulder hems of his undershirt, trying to steady her hyper heartbeat. “I don't understand?” she said softly, wanting some sort of confirmation to break through the fog of her mind, although she wasn't too sure if she wanted to hear the answer.</p><p>He chuckled, folded fingers brushing one of her soft cheeks, “You're beautiful, Kohaku-chan. And I would desire nothing more than fall into you right now. Trust me, it's killing me that all I want to do is to continue to touch and kiss and love you like that. But... you haven't before, have you?”</p><p>She nodded her head once, answering him. His gaze and smile soften, running his fingers through her bangs. “That's why... I can't take that from you. That sort of surrender should be to the one that you love and that loves you in return truly, not one that could,” he replied, and her eyes widened at the last statement of his, remembering their conversation earlier that day, the question that he couldn't answer at that time.</p><p>The knot in her chest loosened, her gaze falling from him as the flush in her cheeks lessened, this time not from burning passion but from a fluttery feeling of happiness. “I understand,” she agreed, her lips formed into the faintest of smiles, yet to Gen it was one of the most gorgeous smiles he had ever seen from her.</p><p>Then he cleared his throat, wanting to finally break the mood entirely, “W-well then... I think I thoroughly distracted you, have I not?”</p><p>She gawked for a moment, before laughing heartily, gently shoving him as she tried to hide her embarrassment from such a remark. “You jerk!” she snapped at him, although there really was no bite to her words, turning away as she hid part of her face behind her hand, “... But yes, you did. Thank you, Gen. I don't think I can ever express how grateful I am to you.”</p><p>“As long as you are happy, then that is all of the thanks I need, my dear Kohaku-chan~” he sing-songed to her, delighting in the soft laugh and gentle head shake she gave in return.</p><p>Her body shifted, her arms wrapping around Gen's torso as she moved to sitting in between Gen's legs, forcing him to stretch them out across the floor, her legs swung and bent over one of his appendages, nuzzling the side of her face into his left shoulder, closing her eyes and sighing as he wrapped his arms again around her, holding her next to him as his chin rested atop of her head. They both ignored the faint nudging of something against her hip, just wanting to revel in a few more moments of cuddling before he would leave, letting her rest once again and preparing for a harder day come the morning.</p><p>Eventually she backed away, placing more than enough distance between them, but Gen didn't make the move to stand up right away. Instead, he reached for his overcoat, still in a piled heap on the floor, taking it and draping it over her shoulders. For a moment, she looked at him awkwardly, remembering her private memory of wearing it earlier, but he smiled, telling her to keep it for the night, and that he'll gather it in the morning. She beamed, arms crossing over one another as she took the edges of it and pulled it tight across her frame. With a final kiss to her forehead, much to her fluttering in her stomach, he stood up and turned away, hand on the handle for the door, turning his head slightly to grin and wish her sweet dreams before finally turning it and opening the door, stepping outside and closing it behind him.</p><p>Her gaze lingered on the door for a moment, before she looked down at the fabric that pooled around her, subconsciously touching her lips with a faint brush of two fingers before they fell in a sweet gesture, smiling softly as she stood up and walked towards her bed. She slipped her arms through the sleeves of the overcoat before she sat down on the edge of the bed, removing the tray from the bed and placing it at the front of the bed on the floor, then leaning down to remove her sandals from her feet. Swinging them back over the bed, she laid down, not bothering to grab the blanket to cover herself up, the coat being more than enough to keep her warm. She reached over to flick off the lantern, nuzzling herself up onto her bed, pulling the coat a bit more around her, lulling herself into a semi-comfortable slumber.</p><p>At the same time, outside of her room, however, Gen paused just outside of the door, not looking towards his left where someone very familiar was standing only a few inches from him.</p><p>“She's going to bed now, dear Senku. I would say that you check back in with her tomorrow. There's much that you need to discuss, to say the very least.”</p><p>There was no reply. From the corner of his eye, the mentalist saw Senku's fists balled up at his sides. There was anger, but there was something else in it that he couldn't quite decipher. Blood and cerulean met briefly before Gen lowered his head, a short smirk stretched across his lips. He moved away from the door, making his way past Senku and towards the stairs to go up deck.</p><p>“Did you two do something?”</p><p>His steps stopped as he aligned himself with Senku's side, standing like opposing forces to one another. Even in the dimmed lights of the hallway, the scientist could make out details out of place on Gen's usual look. His overcoat missing being the biggest, but his hair was unkempt and messy, yukata shifted at his shoulders and waist, and upon a closer glance, his lips looked more swollen than usual. The mentalist didn't think about straightening himself out before leaving, so the sight of him looking more disheveled than usual – as well as exiting from Kohaku's room – had given off more than he intended.</p><p>Gen scoffed, “All I did was provide her some comfort. Nothing more than that.”</p><p>With those words, he continued to walk away, leaving Senku to stand in place, ignoring the daggers being thrown at his back. In the end, that was the truth of the matter. Everything that he, that they, had done, was all for the comfort of her ravaged heart. A friend being there for a friend. There was nothing more than that.</p><p>He ignored the extra thumping in his chest as he spoke that last line; truly, what was one more lie, anyway?</p><p>
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